POTTSVILLE, Pa. -- People in Pottsville are coming together at the end of the week to join in on the fight against cancer.
This particular event has been going in that part of Schuylkill County for nearly three decades.
If you've been on Centre Street in Pottsville recently, you may have noticed purple ribbons tied to light posts.
"It signifies hope. It signifies empathy for our survivors, for those who have succumbed to the disease," said Mary Jane Maclaughlin, Pottsville Relay for Life organizer.
The ribbons are on display in preparation for the 26th annual Pottsville Relay for Life event, which will be held on Friday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Every year, there are about 2,500 relay events across the country, all to raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer
"My mom had cancer 25 years ago and passed away. She did not have the treatment that is available today for breast cancer. There's a longer survival rate, quality of life is better, medicine is better. I'm very happy to see that we're treating it as a lifelong disease and not as a death sentence," said organizer Peggy Davis.
Fundraising is basically a yearlong effort. Already, close to 200 participants in Schuylkill County have signed up for Friday's event. There will be vendors and forms of entertainment, bringing people together to tackle this disease.
"Each year, it affects so many. Cancer, believe it or not, is the second highest cause of death behind heart attacks."
So far, around $40,000 have been raised. The goal is to get to or surpass $65,000.